Vikings hire ex-Purdue coach Darrell Hazell to supervise WRs

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Vikings have hired former Purdue head coach Darrell Hazell as their wide receivers coach.

Hazell’s deal was finalized Thursday along with the staff for 2017 under head coach Mike Zimmer.

This will be Hazell’s 31st year as a coach, his first in the NFL except for an internship with the Oakland Raiders in 1998. Hazell was fired in his fourth season at Purdue , where he went after two years as Kent State’s head coach. As the wide receivers coach at Ohio State from 2004-10, Hazell helped develop several future NFL players.

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Hazell has replaced George Stewart, who left to be the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. Stewart held the role in Minnesota for 10 seasons, under three different head coaches.

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